1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a system for measuring certain properties of fluids, such as pressures, flow rates, temperature, viscosity and density for fluids used in certain well stimulation processes including hydraulic fracturing.
2. Background
In certain well stimulation processes, such as hydraulic fracturing, the properties of the fluid being injected into a formation and the fluid flow conditions are critical to the success of the stimulation process. Typically, a so-called oil field service company performs the stimulation treatment by supplying mixing and pumping equipment and fluids for injection into the well under a specification supplied by the owner of the formation or reservoir into which the fluid is being injected. The cost associated with certain stimulation treatments and the criticality of the treatment as regards preventing damage to the formation make it highly desirable to provide continuous onsite monitoring of the fluid properties during the stimulation process.
If the treatment process is unsuccessful there is often insufficient information to evaluate the cause of the failure of the process. In this regard it has been recognized that it is important to be able to accurately and continuously measure and record certain fluid parameters during processes such as hydraulic fracturing so that real time analysis of the data collected can improve operational understanding and possibly apply new technology to stimulation processes. The lack of concern for this type of data collection in the past has failed to bring any attention to the need for specialized equipment which is desirable to handle the high volume flow rates of specialized fluids. However, the development of relatively small, portable computers adapted for handling complex data streams has also provided the possibility of an onsite fluid data acquisition and computation system which enables the engineer to continuously monitor the properties of the fluid during the performance of the fluid injection process. It is to this end that the present invention has been directed with a view to providing a system for measuring certain fluid properties and parameters during certain well processes such as hydraulic fracturing and other enhanced oil recovery techniques.